WASHINGTON — President Obama seemed to be trying out a Thanksgiving-themed comedy club act Wednesday as he engaged in the traditional White House turkey pardoning.

"Feel free to keep on gobbling," Obama told the Rose Garden crowd as he announced that, also per tradition, two turkeys would be spared this Thanksgiving Eve.

"I can announce that the American people have spoken, and we have two winners," he said. "Their names are Honest and Abe — I confess that Honest looks like good eating, but this is a democracy."

With daughters Malia and Sasha at his side, Obama declared that "Abe is now a free bird" and will now be designated "TOTUS — the Turkey of the United States."

Obama — also known as POTUS, President of the United States — said Honest will be held in an "undisclosed location," ready to step in if "Abe can't fulfill his duties to walk around and gobble all day."

Actually, "Honest" and "Abe" are scheduled to be on public display at a park in Leesburg, Va., in a barn known as "the White House on Turkey Hill," Obama said — "which actually sounds pretty good."

For this 68th annual ceremony, the National Turkey Federation also brought two ready-to-eat birds to the White House. Obama said that, later in the day, he and his family will "take some of the less fortunate turkey brothers with us" to help serve meals to homeless veterans.

The First Family and friends helped serve dinner at Friendship Place, a Washington, D.C., organization with a Veterans First program for homeless and at-risk ex-service members.

During the Rose Garden ceremony, Obama thanked his daughters "for once again standing here with me during the turkey pardoning ... They do this solely because it makes me feel good — not because they actually think that this is something I should be doing."

In a more serious vein, Obama said Thanksgiving is an especially welcome holiday in "challenging times." Speaking less than two weeks after after attacks in Paris raised fears of terrorism worldwide, Obama said "the fact is is that we live in the greatest country on Earth and we are blessed in so many ways."

Less seriously, Obama noted that one of the turkeys got very close to White House aide David Simas.

"Simas, is he attacking you?" Obama said at one point. "Are you OK? ... My political director is getting pecked by TOTUS!"

The president weighed in on one of the Thanksgiving football games, sticking up for his hometown Chicago Bears.

"I'm grateful for the fact the Bears are going to beat the Packers this weekend," Obama said (though it must be said that the Pack is a big favorite, and the game is in Green Bay).

He also took an obligatory poke at the news media: "I've got to listen to my critics say I'm often too soft on turkeys, and I'm sure the press is digging into whether or not the turkeys I've pardoned have really rededicated their lives to being good turkey citizens."

Obama pointed out that this was his seventh turkey pardoning as president.

Posted!

A link has been posted to your Facebook feed.

The National Thanksgiving Turkey, Tot, flaps its wings after being pardoned by President Obama during a ceremony in the Rose Garden at the White House Nov. 23 in Washington. The president celebrated the 69th anniversary of the National Thanksgiving Turkey presentation. Hatched and raised in Iowa, the 2016 National Thanksgiving Turkey and its alternate will retire to Gobblers Rest at Virginia Tech.
Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images

The turkey to be pardoned by President Obama, named "Courage," gets a special sendoff on Nov. 23, 2009, from Worley Farms near Princeton, N.C. At left, Walter Pelletier, chairman of the National Turkey Federation and vice president of Goldsboro Milling Co., state Agriculture Commisioner Steve Troxler, holding the bird, and grower Bryant Worley and his wife, Debbie.
Bobby Williams, AP

President Obama's daughter Malia pats a turkey named "Courage" as her sister, Sasha, and Walter Pelletier, chairman of the National Turkey Federation, look on during a presidential pardon at the North Portico on Nov. 25, 2009.
Alex Wong, Getty Images

Ira Brister, Foster Farms' vice president of turkey, does his best to keep a handle on one of the 25 turkeys up for selection during the process of choosing the official national turkey on Nov. 19, 2010, at Foster Farms' Wellsford Ranch.
Justin Kase Conder, for USA TODAY

President Obama pets "Apple," the national Thanksgiving turkey, during a ceremony in the Rose Garden on Nov. 24, 2010, as National Turkey Federation Chairman Yubert Envia, left, and first daughters Sasha, and Malia look on.
Susan Walsh, AP

President Obama stands with daughter Malia as Sasha pets "Liberty," a 19-week old, 45-pound turkey, on Nov. 23, 2011, on the North Portico of the White House. At left is National Turkey Federation Chairman Richard Huisinga.
Lauren Rock, AP

"Cobbler" is pictured before being pardoned by President Obama ahead of the annual Thanksgiving turkey pardon on Nov. 21, 2012, at the White House. Obama pardoned Cobbler and its alternate, Gobbler, both raised in Rockingham County, Va.
Mandel Ngan, AFP/Getty Images

President Obama, with daughters Sasha and Malia, carries on the Thanksgiving tradition of saving a turkey from the dinner table with a presidential pardon at the White House on Nov. 21, 2012.
J. Scott Applewhite, AP

President Obama, with daughters Sasha and Malia, pardons the national turkey, "Popcorn," at the White House on Nov. 27, 2013, as John Burkel, chairman of the National Turkey Federation in Badger, Minn., stands left.
Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images

President Obama pardons the national Thanksgiving turkey, "Cheese," during the annual ceremony in the Grand Foyer of the White House on Nov. 26, 2014, joined by, from left, Cole Cooper, who raised the turkey; his father, National Turkey Federation Chairman Gary Cooper; and Sasha and Malia Obama.
Mandel Ngan, AFP/Getty Images

This picture taken Nov. 19, 2015, in Modesto, Calif., shows some of the turkeys being consider for a pardon from the Thanksgiving dinner table by President Obama. A class of fifth-grade students from nearby Eisenhut Elementary School cheered for their favorite as Foster Farms staffers picked the prized bird.
Scott Smith, AP

Jihad Douglas, chairman of the National Turkey Federation, introduces two turkeys during a media availability at the Willard Inter Continental Hotel ahead of their "pardon" by President Obama at the White House on Nov. 24, 2015.
Mark Wilson, Getty Images

President Obama pardons the National Thanksgiving Turkey in the Rose Garden at the White House on Nov. 25, 2015. The President pardoned Honest and his alternate, Abe, both 18-week-old, 40-pound turkeys.
Nicholas Kamm, AFP/Getty Images